Next up is the Phoenix Arms HP 22. This pistol has been in production since 1994, and since many of the guns in the market were manufactured during the Clinton gun ban, dealers who have this gun in stock may have only 10-round magazines versus the 11-round magazines that the gun is capable of using. The HP 22 has a removable barrel. This is because in the "kit" form this gun comes with the standard three inch barrel as well as an interchangeable extended five inch barrel. Since my criterion was a gun whose overall length was near six inches or less, I was not interested in the "kit".
Specifications - Phoenix Arms HP 22
Action: blowback operated semi-auto
Safety: slide and frame mounted safety
Length: 5.6 in
Width: 1.0 in
Height: 4.2 in
Magazine Capacity: 11 rounds
Frame: alloy, satin nickel or polished blue finish
Barrel Length: 3.0 in
Rifling: 16-grooves, RH twist
Trigger: single-action
Trigger Pull: ~ 4.5 lbs
Sights: fixed front blade and adjustable rear notch
Grips: checkered plastic, hardwood optional
Weight with empty magazine: 20.5 oz
Observations -
Although not the highest quality construction (a lot more stamped parts than I'd like to see, and a bit of uneven nickel plating on the frame) I was otherwise generally impressed with the gun's form and function. About the same length and height as the Taurus PT-22, but not as wide, the HP 22 weighs about 8 ounces more. Although the HP-22 grip circumference is just a quarter inch less than that of the Taurus, its flatter design seems to fit better in the hand.
Like the Taurus, the sight radius of the HP 22 is only 4 inches. But, the contrast between the nickel plated front blade and matte black adjustable rear notch makes aligning the sights with the target much easier than with the Taurus. Disassembly for cleaning is a little more difficult though, involving the removal of the barrel and an open slide recoil spring. There is no recoil spring guide rod.
The single-action trigger hangs loosely in the frame with about a quarter inch of slack take-up before engaging the action. It takes about a 4.5 pound trigger pull to fire the gun. The gun's additional weight helps stabilize recoil. The slide mounted firing-pin safety and hammer spur allow you to safely lower the hammer on a chambered round. The additional frame mounted safety locks the trigger, and must be engaged in order to remove the magazine. Altogether, the flatter grips, contrasting sights, additional weight and single-action trigger pull, make this little gun surprisingly easy to control.
